Awful weather - typical Brits talk

twopenny

Cute baby tom Poppy, and you so far north. Mine are still trying to grow in the dry soil.

Hosepipe time tomorrow I think.

Don't know about this UK wide heatwave.

I've had to close the doors and windows and find so slippers. Thermometer reads 18c but the low cloud must be chilly or something because it's shivery out there and too cold to walk on the pavers in just socks.

YoungBlueEyes

Sounds like the weather hasn't made it all the way down then 2p, my overnight temps are the same/higher than your day ones  Hopefully it stretches to you today. I agree with Dusty, sometimes you need to sit quietly and dyor rather than just chuffin' down more and more pills. I'm a bit worried we're getting like the yanquis where the docs are paid by Big Pharma, and they're looking at their bank balance rather than your notes. Ahem. Lovely spray of sweetpeas   Are they this years? Mine aren't anything like ready. Mind one patch is a bit further along than the other cos my Lamb's Ears are loving life and spreading all over and that's holding one of them back. LE just beginning to flower now too, I do like them. 

I'm nowhere near with my toms either, though there are tiny wee flower buds on a couple of them. Imagine you having a fruit already pp, and you all the way up there! Death Stare Cat has put the mockers on one, or the Hairdressers recruitment drive has been here, or something. Grrrr. Philadelphus is going on my list too. Might have to nip to morries when I go out food shopping... Congratulations on your first 'erse' too :clapping:

Dusty - Gladiator is definitely worth a watch, it's not ever so violent. Well it's realistically violent for the times I'd say. It's more about the politics and machinations of the rulers. It's a good film. Mmmmm Russell Crowe. And her with the dark hair, I thought she was very pretty and would've gone on to do more but I don't think I've seen her again. That's some view in your pic, I wouldn't mind a house just there. I could sit looking at that all day long  

OT cloudy, warm, humid, 18' already my phone says. High of 25 and sunny this aft, they say. If your weather doesn't improve 2p, come up here and share mine!

YoungBlueEyes

Death Stare Cat. Or hairdresser recruitee. (Not a great pic, you might have to zoom in 🙄) 

ArbitraryRandom

-taff said:

Arb, I found it both depends on the misxture and how wet they were to start with. When I first dug mine it did crack in the first and second year [ clay soil] but as I've added stuff over the years [which is whatever comes to hand, spent tomato compost, leaves, my compost and I also leave all the stuff from dying plants on there, so the bean stuff, the tomato stuff, the pumkin and courgette stuff] , it's kept moist underneath the top layer..Also a winter of forthcoming rain will thoroughly wet what you have in there so it'll hold it better next year.

What have you got in there? Top soil? compost? mix?

They were mostly filled with top soil of variable quality - including several loads that were by my judgement mostly sand... which is great for drainage but also means any goodness seems to be washing right through. 

The top 6 inches or so after it settled are whatever I could get a hold of (80+ sacks of various composts, grow bags, some bark, manure), but unfortunately the quality of that was also quite variable/poor this year and there's just some gaps in the bed where things aren't growing for whatever reason when a foot to the right something is romping away. The beds could easily take a ton or two more filling, so the 'plan' is to layer the whole thing with cardboard and bark at the end of the season (excluding the small section near the house with my herbs/perennial salads) an order some more manure to top everything off by an inch or two. 

I'm not sure yet if I would be better covering the lot in a landscaping fabric to exclude light and continue to weaken the bind weed that's underneath or to let it have a good soak over winter. The spring rains might be enough if I remove the covering early enough (remembering these beds were only actually finished at the end of April so had maybe a month for what's in there to start to break down and worms to find). 

But today - so far warm and cloudy. Not as hot as yesterday I think, but also no breeze at all. No rain forecast or likely so I watered nice and early. Today is also bin day, and I did remember to put them out. Was dive bombed by gulls as it's that time of year again... plus the plants are trying to kill me and I'm researching the signs of antihistamine overdose  

I used to think I loved chilled strawberries on a hot day, but there's something rather special about berries eaten while still hot from the sun. Pic of yesterday's 'harvest'

Dustyevsky

YoungBlueEyes said:

Sounds like the weather hasn't made it all the way down then 2p, my overnight temps are the same/higher than your day ones  Hopefully it stretches to you today. I agree with Dusty, sometimes you need to sit quietly and dyor rather than just chuffin' down more and more pills. I'm a bit worried we're getting like the yanquis where the docs are paid by Big Pharma, and they're looking at their bank balance rather than your notes. AGrrrr. Philadelphus is going on my list too. Might have to nip to morries when I go out food shopping... Congratulations on your first 'erse' too :clapping:

The US has the highest pill to person ratio, and health costs. The results speak for themselves!  

As for the weather, it looks as if that northern heat will make it here today too. Factor 50 etc. It seems I have a lot of digging on the menu today, so it'll be no fun, having all that soil clinging to me!

Philadelphus are worth it for the scent, despite being unruly and needing space. It's a serious omission in our garden, or maybe we should have one in the dell. Not sure if they do them in Morries, and it's a 36mile round trip to find out!

My walking friend claims her erse must be one of the most frequently seen on the Internet, but I think she's probably been pipped now by Taylor Swift. She's not allowing any frontal shots, especially as she's no idea where I post!

Tomato pictures, as promised, starting with that bed I was filling a few weeks ago. As you can see, Mrs Dusty has been busy constructing supports for the huge crop we're expecting.....maybe.

I do have a picture somewhere of young Veranda Reds in pots, but I can't find it. You might spot a few small tomatoes on the one closest to the camera in the second photo below. We only have two VRs in the deep bed.

Farway

Scorchio here, same as yesterday. 

Not sure if it was the heat, but I was whacked out yesterday, just no oomph, so caught up on my Amazon Prime Zombies instead of gardening. No more cannas spotted though.

My nice neighbour mowed my grass for me, unasked. Here's hoping I can harvest enough runners to give them some as “Thanks”

The runners have survived another slug chomping free night, and are starting to climb up the canes now.

Job for today is top up the bird bath and try for grape pics

ArbitraryRandom said:

I used to think I loved chilled strawberries on a hot day, but there's something rather special about berries eaten while still hot from the sun

I think we can all agree on that, another one is sun warmed tomato, and a rare treat, fig, where the scent is also a factor

YBE is the cat giving Death Stare to the toms? Please give it an ear tickle from me.

I think you have too many toms in the grow bag, but maybe they are the midget ones?

If Veranda Red turns out good, next year I'm going to try those in a posh grow bag, or individual large pots

Another Philadelphus lover here, and now it's also on my list.

I'm watering the volunteer pots tomorrow, and will be off to Morries afterwards, actually for groceries, but a check will be carried out for Phil for the volunteer border, no room in my garden but ample space in volunteer border

Nice toms there Dusty, my indoor ones are in pots and very leggy. And this morning I spotted whitefly on them.

Gave them a squirt, but whitefly are notoriously tough little beggars, so it's more drowning them than killing

I'll get a Veranda Red pic while I’m toping up the bird bath

Here's my buddleia, the dwarf type, it came back from a near-death experience after vine weevils got into the pot in 2022

That seems to have a similar effect as toying with an axe

pink_poppy

I can't take any credit for the tomato plants - they were gifted to me by lovely neighbour a few weeks ago and I've just been feeding and watering them. They're indoors - I don't think they would survive outdoors with our rubbish June weather  

I also can't take any credit for the Philadelphus - both of them were here when we moved in. It's the first year that they've looked really good though - same with the Ceanothus. Maybe our gorgeous May weather had something to do with it.

Lovely pussycat pic, YBE, even if it is giving your tomatoes the evils.

Yummy looking strawberries, AR. I spend a fortune on supermarket strawberries at this time of year - I really need to try and grow some next year. What variety are they?? I had Cambridge many years ago but didn't plant them in the right location so they didn't do much.

Impressive tomato plants, Dusty. What do you do with them?? Eat raw or cook with them?? I'll try those exercises as my back/hip is still niggling. It'll have to be on the bed though because we only have a two-seater settee   

Lovely buddleia, Farway, it looks really healthy. Do the vine weevils get in through the bottom of the pot?? I saw something on Beechgrove where someone put a circle of mesh material (could also use a circle cut from a pair of old tights, but I'm guessing you don't wear them) over the drainage hole before adding the compost/plant and that worked.

Weather is nicer today, but not very warm. At least it's not raining...

Farway

Clouding over a bit now, but bird bath topped up & photos taken

pink_poppy said:

Lovely buddleia, Farway, it looks really healthy. Do the vine weevils get in through the bottom of the pot?? I saw something on Beechgrove where someone put a circle of mesh material (could also use a circle cut from a pair of old tights, but I'm guessing you don't wear them) over the drainage hole before adding the compost/plant and that worked.

From what I've read they climb up the pot sides, get up the duff become impregnated and then lay eggs in the top of the soil

Prevention, not that I've succeeded, is stopping them getting up the pot, Vaseline on rim supposedly stops them, or maybe they use it for the next stage ?

A layer of grit is supposed to stop them sticking the bum bit into soil to lay eggs

Gallons of very expensive [over £12] soil insecticide to kill the grubs or even more expensive nematodes

I just live with it, buy new plants or replace the compost, whichever suits

Ta Ra, Veranda Red pics. I have fruit on them now.

twopenny

Well there's a lot to be envious of I don't know where to start!

Hopefully my veg will catch up soon. It's no hope for the strawberries I was given. They're very not happy. But the raspberries seem to be coming along........if the rust doesn't get them again this year.

It's very hot and humid today with the damp, misty cloud we've had recently.

Went for a walk with friends this morning - after being woken at 5am by neighbours son leaving - and the sweat was dripping off me even though I was in the shade.

Now my plans for working on the brambles this afternoon seem doubtful because I'm tired twixt heat and early wakening.

Dusty that tom arrangement looks worthy of a stately home garden. Are you sure you only have a bungalow

YoungBlueEyes

Too hot, am mafted. Sunny and heavy and humid and 25+' out there. Can't wait for Friday when it'll go back to normal, maybe.

Antihistamines Arb, i know you can take 2 a day, but I don't know if you can officially take 2 a day itms. For me I use proper Beconase nose spray thing and cheapo eye drops as well as a tablet a day, when it's at it's worst. That way round cos cheapo nose spray is useless and proper eye drops made no difference for the money ime. That isn't medical advice etc. Your strawbs look good!

Gawd Dusty that's a proper job on the tom beds eh. What are you feeding the 5000? And no that's not jealousy  

You could be right Farway, too many toms in the bag. I stuck them all in cos I thought they were just gonna die on me anyway, either user error or late planting or cool weather or Death Stare Cat. Well one of them has a flower opened today, the swine, so they're bu99ered now cos I've nothing bigger to put them in so they'll have to stop there and make the best of it or just die. Hopefully your oomphlessness is heat related... 

Something you could for your back pp, (depending on what's wrong with it this might not be suitable) is stretch it out. I can describe a yoga move that I got a lot of relief from in the past - but I can't remember what it's called, naturally. Lie flat on your back with your arms out at the sides so you're a big T shape. Without moving your arms draw your knees up to your chest and then let them fall to your right hand side as far as they'll go. Keep the top half of you flat on the floor and use your arms for balance. Bring your knees back to your chest and then drop them to your left hand side. Then go left again, then right again. Like that. The more you do it the lower your knees will reach, 'til one day they're fully on the floor. It rolls out the muscles at the bottom of your back, it is heaven But it's not medical advice.

Is neighbours son any nearer to moving out 2p. Any sign of house hunting or arguing with his mum…? Mmmm rasps  

Oh and anyone after something in morries gc, just make sure you aren't too early - the store might open at 0700 but my gc bit opens at 0900. It's not right isn't that, and I wasn't for going back through all that heat on the highway to hell and all that traffic just for a looksie.

I actually came on for some advice. I've filled a dish earlier with water from my water butt for His Holeyness (he likes it better than fresh tap water) and it's got diddy black wrigglers in it   My spare one down the garden is the same... what do I do? Will they die of their own accord in the darkness/wetness..? Or do I need to tip out both of the butts and dry and clean them...?  

Edit - anyone who isn't afraid of a chunky book and is interested in that thing I didn't say this morning about BigPharma, try reading Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. It's a big full book that doesn't miss a detail, but my god it's worth the read. It was on tv and they did an ok job, but it's not a patch on actually reading the book.